If suicidal thoughts are unchallenged they can convince a person that because they are doing it tough now it will always be like this. If there is time to talk about suicidal thoughts it can provide a clue to what you hold dear, about certain connections you value and the dreams and aspirations you have for life. In order for such conversation to occur. However, it’s first important to make sure you are safe now.
Get help for suicidal thoughts
If you think you might harm yourself, call for help immediately.
- Reach out to someone you trust and ask for help. Tell them honestly how you feel, including your thoughts of self harm or suicide.
- Call 000 (police, ambulance, fire)
- Call Lifeline, 24 hours a day, on 13 11 14
- Go (or have someone take you) to your local hospital emergency department
It’s important to understand suicidal thoughts
“I felt like s***, like there was no way out. It wasn’t like my first thought but it was there in the background.”
Remember that thoughts about suicide are just that – thoughts. You don’t need to act on them. They won’t last for ever, and they may pass very quickly. Many people who have had serious thoughts of suicide have said that they felt completely different only hours later. It’s common to feel overwhelmed and distressed during difficult times or when it seems that things will never improve.
Things you can do to keep yourself safe
- Seek help early. Talk to a family member or friend, see your local doctor, or ring a telephone counselling service.
- Postpone any decision to end your life. Many people find that if they postpone big decisions for just 24 hours, things improve, they feel better able to cope and they find the support they need.
- Talk to someone you trust like family, friends, a colleague, teacher or minister. 24-hour telephone counselling lines allow you to talk anonymously to a trained counsellor at any time of the day or night.
- Avoid being alone (especially at night). Stay with a family member or friend or have someone stay with you until your thoughts of suicide decrease.
- Develop a safety plan. Come up with a plan that you can put into action at any time. Like having a friend or family member agree that you will call them when you are feeling overwhelmed or upset.
- Avoid drugs and alcohol when you’re feeling down. Many drugs are depressants and can make you feel worse, they don’t help to solve problems and can make you do things you wouldn’t normally do.
- Set small goals to help you move forward and feel in control. Set goals even on an hourly or daily basis. Write them down and cross them off as you achieve them.
- Write down your feelings. You might keep a journal, write poetry or simply jot down your feelings. This can help you to understand yourself better and think about alternative solutions to problems.
- Stay healthy and try to get enough exercise and eat well. Exercising releases hormones (endorphins) into your brain. Eating well will help you to feel energetic and able to manage difficult life events.
Seeking professional help
- See your local doctor or a specialist to discuss support or treatment. Discuss your suicidal thoughts and feelings with them, talk about ways to keep yourself safe, and ensure you receive the best treatment and care.
- See a mental health professional. Psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors and other health professionals are trained to deal with issues relating to suicide, mental illness and wellbeing. Find them online or by visiting your GP, or by contacting a crisis line for information.
Help is available
Thoughts of suicide occur to many people and for a range of reasons. The most important thing to remember is that you’re not alone, help is available. Talking to someone is a good place to start, even though it may seem really difficult. Tell someone today.
Find help in your local area
If you’re feeling suicidal, getting help early can help you cope with the situation and avoid things getting worse. After you get over a crisis, you need to do all you can to make sure it doesn’t happen again. There are a number of sources of support in your local area. If the first place or person you contact can’t help, or doesn’t meet your needs, don’t give up. Try another.
Local support and psychology
- Find a local support service through Service Finder. (If that link is down, try Lifeline Services.)
- Visit a General Practitioner – look for one in the Yellow Pages. A GP can support and refer you.
- Community Health Centres – these are listed in the White Pages.
- See a Psychologist – you can find these through your GP (and get a Medicare rebate) or the Australian Psychological Society (APS). The APS provides a referral service on 1800 333 497 or through their Find a Psychologist web listing.
- See a Counsellor or Psychotherapist – you can find these through your community health centre, the Yellow Pages or the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia Inc (PACFA). PACFA have a national register of individual counsellors and psychotherapists available to the public (www.pacfa.org.au).
- Access Lifeline’s crisis chat support from 8pm – midnight, 7 days.
Crisis help line numbers
- Call a crisis help line:
- Lifeline 24-hour telephone counselling available anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call. Telephone: 13 11 14
- Kids Helpline (For young people aged between 5 and 25, is free, confidential and anonymous telephone and online counselling service Telephone: 1800 551 800 www.kidshelponline.com.au
- Salvo Care Line (A crisis counselling service available throughout Australia. The website provides details of other services available through the Salvation Army) Telephone: 1300 36 36 22, www.salvos.org.au
- Suicide Helpline (VICTORIA ONLY) – Confidential telephone counselling, support and referral available 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout Victoria for the cost of a local call. Telephone: 1300 651 251, www.suicidehelpline.org.au
- Womensline (A 24 hour DVConnect line for women) on 1800 811 811, www.dvconnect.org
- Mensline (A 24-hour counselling service for men) on 1300 78 99 78, www.mensline.org.au
- Vietnam Veterans Counselling Service Telephone: 1800 011 046, www.vvaa.org.au/vvcs.htm
- Crisis Care (Gay and Lesbian Counselling and Community Services of Australia) provides information, live chat counselling, and links to counselling services for gay and lesbian people throughout Australia. Telephone: 1800 18 45 27. Website: QLife. Or see the website for your state/territory: Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria / Tasmania, Western Australia.
Other resources
- Visit some helpful websites.
- Headspace (a mental health website for young people) www.headspace.org.au
- The Lifeline website has resources and information related to suicide prevention: Lifeline – Get help now
- Lifeline’s Information Service (information about mental health and other related issues for individuals, professionals, families and communities in rural and regional Australia) Telephone: 1300 13 11 14, www.lifeline.org.au
- Lifeline’s Service Finder: just look (online database of low cost or free health and community services throughout Australia – free, confidential 24 hour service) www.lifeline.org.au or www.justlook.org.au
Note: Many of these services also offer interpreter services for those people who speak English as a second language.
Acknowledgement
This page was created with reference to the “Living is for everyone” publication Promoting good practice in suicide prevention: Activities targeting men produced by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing: 2008.